lactoferrin and Precursor-Cell-Lymphoblastic-Leukemia-Lymphoma

In order to further evaluate the effects of rGM-CSF on the reconstituting granulopoiesis, plasma and serum levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and lactoferrin (LF), as well as serum levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), were monitored daily during a period of 3-4 weeks following ABMT in a group of 22 patients treated with either rGM-CSF (n = 11) or placebo (n = 11). Despite faster increase in the neutrophil counts in the rGM-CSF group, we did not observe any difference either in P-MPO or in P-LF during the period of early engraftment (days 11-19). This finding indicates that the proliferative effect of rGM-CSF on the neutropoiesis may be overestimated when neutrophil counts alone are taken into consideration, and suggests that other mechanisms may have contributed to the increase in the number of circulating neutrophils. The ratio of the serum to plasma level of LF, but not of MPO, was higher in the rGM-CSF group, probably reflecting a specific in vivo neutrophil priming effect. In the rGM-CSF group there was a clear increase of S-ECP during the second and third week post transplant, corresponding to an increase in eosinophil counts, which indicates that rGM-CSF stimulated eosinophil reconstitution without causing excessive activation of the mature eosinophils.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Blood Proteins; Bone Marrow Transplantation; Double-Blind Method; Eosinophil Granule Proteins; Eosinophils; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; Hematopoiesis; Humans; Lactoferrin; Leukocyte Count; Lymphoma; Middle Aged; Multiple Myeloma; Neutrophils; Peroxidase; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma; Recombinant Proteins; Ribonucleases

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aging; Bone Marrow Transplantation; Child; Child, Preschool; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Indicators and Reagents; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Lactoferrin; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma; Reference Values

The hybridization to a complementary RNA (cRNA) probe both in situ and in solution was used to assay tiny amounts of mRNA of the lactoferrin (LF) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) genes in normal bone marrow cells and in acute and chronic lymphoid leukemias. Evidence is reported that this technique is much more sensitive than the standard Northern blot technique. The LF mRNA was detectable in three of seven cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and in three of seven cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Four cases of ALL were also positive when tested with the MPO cRNA. It is apparent from these results that myeloid specific mRNA, different from MPO, may be detected in leukemic cells with lymphoid phenotype using a method more sensitive than the Northern blot technique. Whether or not the molecular events observed in these cell populations reflect events physiologically occurring rather than a deregulation of gene expression associated to leukemogenesis remains to be established.

Topics: Bone Marrow; Genes; Genetic Techniques; Humans; Lactoferrin; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Peroxidase; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma; RNA Probes; RNA, Messenger